that little taste after he had savored so much more than that the other day.
Knowing only that he couldn’t let her go yet, he grasped her hands in his and tugged her closer. Her fingers fluttered in his like that butterfly but after a moment’s hesitation, she opened them and twined them together with his, all while her scent—vanilla and spices and delicious female—made his head spin.
So much for good intentions. He forgot all the reasons this wasn’t wise. With the sparkle of stars overhead, the sprawl of lights from the town below and the cold mountain air that smelled sweetly of spring wrapping around them, the moment was perfect. He didn’t want it to end.
He kissed her, tasted her, until they were both breathing hard, until his body ached, until he wanted nothing so much as to find a soft patch of grass somewhere and explore every warm, curvy inch of her....
She was the first to pull away and he realized she was practically on his lap. He wanted her to stay exactly there.
“You are one fine kisser, Sam Delgado.”
He smiled against her mouth. “I’m good at a lot of things.”
Her body trembled, ever so slightly, but before he could stop her, she slid out of his lap and gave a light jump to the ground, reaching for the leash she had dropped in the midst of their kiss. The dog hadn’t gone far; he was curled up on the ground looking far more comfortable than either of them right now.
“I like you very much, Sam,” she said, “and I would be lying if I didn’t admit I find you incredibly sexy, but I’m not going to sleep with you. I suppose it’s only fair to tell you that up front.”
He managed a rough laugh, dangerously close to falling hard for Alexandra McKnight. “Just because a woman happens to enjoy the way I kiss her doesn’t automatically mean I expect her to fall into bed with me.”
In the pale moonlight, her features looked almost fey. “Then you are truly a man among men. Come on, Leo. We should probably be heading back.”
He stood for just a moment on the mountainside with the cool breeze rippling his hair, then shook his head to clear away the lingering arousal and followed after her, wondering just how the hell his best intentions had gone so wildly off the rails.
* * *
ALEX GRIPPED THE HANDLE of Leo’s leash so hard she was quite sure when she finally made it down to the trailhead, she would have an imprint on the skin of her palm that would last for days.
She was completely self-deluded to think she could keep things casual and friendly with Sam.
The only reason she had invited him along on this little walk with Leo was to convince herself she had the strength of will to resist this attraction that simmered between them. Ha. That certainly turned out well, didn’t it? A half hour into it, she was once more in his arms.
She couldn’t seem to help herself. Her brain warned her to keep a safe distance but the rest of her just wanted to grab hold and not let go.
Leo led her down the dark trail, easily dodging the small rocks and weedy growth along the way. He moved fast, probably eager for bed, and she followed right behind him, hoping she didn’t trip and go sprawling. Wouldn’t that be a lovely conclusion to the evening, if she ended up in the emergency room?
She was aware of Sam not far behind her. The beam of his flashlight cut ahead of all three of them, but he was silent, concentrating on the trail.
By the time the trailhead came into view, endorphins pumped through her and she could feel each beat of her heart.
“Why are you running so hard?” Sam asked when they reached their vehicles.
She caught her breath. “That wasn’t a run, soldier. That was just a little stroll down a mountainside. It’s not my fault you can’t keep up.”
“I wasn’t talking about the pace.”
Yeah. She figured that out. She hated feeling like a coward but she had a very powerful feeling it wouldn’t take long for her to fall head over heels for this strong, sexy man who’d raised his younger brother and nursed his dying wife and who made her feel as if she would catch fire in a dry wind. For some crazy reason, she suddenly remembered the phrase Frankie Beltran had said to Claire, telling her Sam was